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Who You Calling Spineless? Biscayne National Park Family Fun Fest Explores Invertebrates

HOMESTEAD, Fla. --- Just because an animal has no backbone does not mean it is wimpy! Biscayne National Park continues the 17th season of its award-winning Family Fun Fest series on March 12, 2017 with a look at a few of the park’s many invertebrates — animals without backbones. The free event takes place from 1-4 pm and features five hands-on activity stations for families to complete together. Family Fun Fest Junior includes specially-designed activities for toddlers (ages 5 and under) to ensure that the entire family gets to participate, and free transportation from downtown Homestead (and by extension, anywhere served by public transit) is available aboard the Homestead National Parks Trolley, courtesy of the City of Homestead.

“Who You Calling Spineless?” is the fourth event in the 2016-2017 season, which is surveying a wide variety of the park’s “fantastic beasts.” Participants receive a passport which they get punched as they complete each of five activities. After collecting all five punches, kids earn a specially designed button to help them remember the lessons learned.

Activities include:

Tuffet Talk – listen in as Felicia Muffet interviews one of her least favorite guests!

Microscopic Monsters – who’s living in that water that you normally can’t see?

Home on the Roots – help create a thriving community of mangrove critters in origami!

Participants who earn all five buttons in a season are declared "family fun fest fanatics" and earn a special award in April.

In addition to five activity stations at each event, there is one activity station focusing on theme-related creative play for parents with toddlers. “The little guys earn a button just like their older brothers and sisters, but with activities geared to their skill level," said the program creator, Park Ranger Yelitza Sepulveda. "Family Fun Fest Junior fills an important niche for parents looking for innovative educational opportunities for their children."

The final Family Fun Fest for the season is April 9. It will highlight “fantastic” fish, with their shiny scales and flapping tails! Family Fun Fest is made possible through visitor donations and the Bobby Duryea Fund at the South Florida National Parks Trust, with additional support from the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves and a host of dedicated volunteers.

The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is located at 9700 SW 328 Street, nine miles east of Homestead, Florida. For more information about Biscayne National Park visit nps.gov/bisc or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at “biscaynenps.”

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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.